Shipping block



June 16, 1942. T, D, SMITH 2,286,876

SHIPPING BLOCK Filed Oct. 24, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 1 11w NTOR.

June 16, 1942. T. D. SMITH 2,286,876

SHIPPING BLOCK Filed on. 24, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patente d June 161942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHIPPING BLOCK Trafton D. Smith,Pontiac, Mich. Application October 24, 1946, Serial No. 362,503

3 Claims.

This invention relates to shipping blocks for use in connection withrailroad cars or vehicles for shipping stacks, bundles, r coils of metalfrom one destination to another, and more particularly to a shippingblock or blocks on which the bundles can be firmly secured, thuspreventing displacement of the pieces making 'up the bundles, andeliminating bending, jamming-or otherwise damaging of the ends and edgesof the material.

One of the prime objects is to design a shipping block for spacing thebundles from the floor of the carrying vehicle, and to facilitate thefastoning or wrapping of cables, chains, or other means around eachbundle so that it may be handled by suitable hoisting mechanism such asa crane or the like.

Another object is to design a shipping block of rigid, substantialconstruction provided with upturned ends so that there will be nogouging of the floor or support when the bundles shift on the floor, dueto'sudden stops 0! other rough handling of the railroad car.

A further object is to provide a shipping block provided with slotsanchoring of wire, straps, or other flexible tying means thereto, sothat the individual pieces or members can be readily strapped or tied inbales or bundles etc.

A further object still is to design a shipping block of substantialconstruction which can be quickly and easily handled by a workman; whichreadily fits in a suitable pocket in the car; and which is adaptable foruse over and over again as occasion demands.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understoodthat changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minordetails of construction, without departing from the spirit, orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a part sectional, side elevational view of a railroad carshowing bundles of sheet steel' plates mounted on my shipping blocks,each bundle being separately strapped or tied;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlargeddetail, side elevational view of the shipping block;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 5 is an end elevational view;

and openings to facilitate the Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional viewtaken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3; and,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary, side elevational view showing ashipping block with plates mounted thereon.

In shipping bundles of steel plates, coils, etc., from one location toanother, it is at present general practice to utilize lumber for skidsand bracing in the cars. This requires timbers or pieces of sufficientsize and strength to support the bundles which are of considerableweight; in fact, so heavy that a crane or other power lifting device isrequired for the loading and/or unloading operation. When the bundlesare unloaded etc., these timbers are discarded and become waste lumberwhich is not again utilized for the same purpose, as it is usuallysplit, gouged, and otherwise damaged. This is quite expensive and notalways conducive to neat, tight bundling; and I have therefore designeda shipping block which serves to space the material from the floor ofthe car so that cables or chains used for hoisting, when loading orunloading, can be readily passed around it, which also serves as a skid,to eliminate gouging of the floor of the car should the bundles shiftwhen enroute to its destination, and which is also provided with spacedslots of a size to accommodate the tying wire or straps so that theblocks are readily adapted to any size or shape bundle, these blocksbeing of a size so that they can be readily placed in a suitable pocketin the bottom of the car and used over and over again as required.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings in which I have shownthe preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 indicates thebody of a conventional railroad car mounted on wheels 8 which engagetracks 9 as usual.

The shipping blocks III are preferably H-beam shape in cross section,and are relatively light in weightso that they can be readily handled bya workman. Spaced apart openings II are provided in the web l2, andsections l3 are punched from the ends of each block, at a point directlyadjacent the bottom flange H, to permit the end section l5 of the flangeto be bent upwardly and form a skid to permit the blocks to move orshift without gouging the floor or surface on which they rest.

Slots H are provided in the upper flange l6 of each block in spacedapart relation, and are adapted to accommodate steel straps or wires l8used for tying and securing the bundles S on the shipping blocks, theupper outer flange being turned as at I! to eliminate sharp edges whichmight otherwise cut or weaken the tying members.

These blocks can be of any desired length, but I find it advantageous tomake them comparatively short, and place two or more in end to endabutting relation to form a sectional skid to suit the length of thematerial to be bundled.

The edges of the material can be further protested by placing a heavysheet of cardboard or similar material C on the top and bottom of thepile.

After the material has been placed in a bundle on the shipping blocks,the steel strap or wire I8 is inserted in the exposed slot which isclosest to the end of the bundle, this strap thence leading up and overthe bundle and thence down and through the nearest exposed slot on theopposite end of said bundle, where it is pulled tight and firmly securedin any desired manner. The opposite end of the bundle is tied in asimilar manner, after which the bundle is tied in the opposite directionby leading similar straps or wires 20 through the openings I I, thenceup and over the bundle, the ends being tied in the usual manner to forma tightly bound, compact bundle which prevents the pieces forming saidbundle from shifting with relation to each other, eliminating bending orotherwise damaging the edges of the sheets or members.

The bundles are of course of considerable weight and are usually handledby a hoisting crane or the like (not shown) for transfer from a loadingdock to the car, or from the car to a warehouse or platform, and a cableor chain sling (not shown) is used for this purpose.

Upon arrival at destination, the wire straps l8 and 20 are severed andthe material placed in the warehouse or stock-room or routed as desired,the shipping blocks being then placed in a suitable compartment orpocket (not shown) in the car, for use over'again when required, thesecompartments being locked with the usual railroad car seal in theconventional manner.

From the foregoing description, it will be clearly obvious that I haveperfected a very simple, practical, and inexpensive shipping block whichis usable over and over again.

What I claimis:

1. A metallic shipping block, H-beam shape in cross section with oneedge of the upper flange turned downwardly, sections cut from the web ofsaid block at the ends and adjacent the lower flange to permit the endsof the lower flange to be upturned to form a skid, spaced aparttransversely disposed slits in the one edge of the upper flange, andspaced apart openings in the web of said block.

2. A shipping package comprising spaced apart metallic members, H-beamshape in cross section, each member having one edge of its upper flangeturned downwardly'with the ends of the lower flange turned upwardly toform skids, a stack of metal sheets positioned on said metallic members,a plurality of spaced apart transversely disposed slits provided in theturned upper flange, straps extending beneath the lower face of the slitflange of the metallic member and leading upwardly through certain slitsdirectly adjacent the front and rear edge of the sheets and encirclingthe stack, and spaced apart .openings formed in the web of said metallicmembers for accommodating straps extending through said openings andencircling said stack in the opposite direction.

3. A shipping package comprising'a plurality of spaced apart metallicmembers, H-beam shape in cross section, the ends being shaped to permitthe end portions of the lower flanges to be bent upwardly to form skids,a stack of metal sheets positioned on said metallic members, each memberhaving one upper flange edge turned downwardly and having a pluralityoi! spaced apart transversely disposed slits provided therein, strapsdisposed beneath the turned upper flange of the metallic member with theends leading upwardly through slits directly adjacent the edges of thestack and encircling said stack,

spaced apart openings in the vertical web of the metallic members, andstraps extending through said openings and encircling said stack in theopposite direction.

TRAF'ION D. SMITH.

